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(No'ModeL) U. D. TISDALE. AUTOMATIC ELEGTRIO FIRE ALARM. No. 565,188.Patented Aug. 4, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES D. TISDALE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT ANDMESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO JOHN D. GOULD, OF BROOKLYN, NEIV YORK, AND CHARLESA. HANSON,

OF EAST ORANGE, NETV JERSEY.

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC FIRE-ALARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 565,188, dated August4, 1896.

Application filed July 11, 1895.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES D. TISDALE, of Boston, in the county ofSuffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Automatic Elec tric Fire-Alarms, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple, cheap, andefficient automatic electrical fire-alarm system for use moreparticularly in apartment houses, dwellings, buildings, 850., althoughapplicable as well to stores, warehouses, factories, &c. and theinvention consists of two wires or other electric I 5 conductors, one ofwhich is made of any suitable fusible material that will fuse at thedesired degree of heat, the two wires or conductors being located andextending or running I side by side, or close to each other, but not incontact with each other, around the room or building, as desired,an openelectric circuit, and a sounding device, all constructed and arrangedfor operation substantially as hereinafter fully described, referencebeing had to the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which is illustratedthe present invention.

Figure 1 represents the sides of a room or building, with the walls,ceiling, and flooring in vertical section, with this invention applied 0thereto. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the wires and incross-section, and Figs. 3 and 4 are two detail side views to behereinafter referred to.

In the drawings, A, B, and C represent the 3 5 side walls of a room orbuilding, two,B C, of which are in vertical section; D and E, the floorand ceiling, respectively, in cross-section, and F the mop-board, all ofwhich is as usual in the construction of a room or building.

G is an electric wire made of a metal or a metal compound that will fuseat any desired heat, and it is preferably covered with an insulatingmaterial H along its length, which 4 5 can be of paper or of anysuitable insulating material. J is an other electric wire, which can beof the usual material and is a plain bare wire. It is not intended to befusible, and this wire J, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is wound around theoutside of the insulated material Serial No. 555,613. (No model.)

on the fusible wire, preferably its whole length, substantially asshown, to have it close to the fusible wire and also as a means ofsupport for the wire J. These two wires thus combined together, butinsulated from each other by the insulated material on the fusible wire,extend substantially as one from a point at K on the wall A down closeto the wall B, down and then along the mop-board F, and up a shortdistance on the wall A, close to the wall C, being secured at intervalsby staples L or in any suitable manner. These two wires are connected toan electric battery M, magnet N, and electric bell P in the followingmanner: A wire a is connected to the end 6 5 of the fusible wire G,which runs to and connects with one pole of the electric battery M. Fromthe other pole of the electric battery a wire b extends to and connectswith the electric bell P and from the bell a wire 01 runs to andconnects with the electromagnet N, and from the magnet a wire e runs toand connects with the wire J, wound upon the insulated fusible Wire. Qis an armature for the electromagnet, pivoted at R to swing up and downand to rest by its free end S upon a block T, secured to a support, butwhich block is of insulated material or insulated in any suitablemanner. From the armature Q runs a wire f, which connects with the wirea, connecting the battery and fusible wire G. A short distance above thefree end of the armature is a metal block U, secured to the wall orsupport, which is connected by an electric wire g with the wire 6,connecting the electromagnet and the wire J.

As shown in Fig. 1, the device is in position for operation and action,and if a fire occurs in any part of the room or building where thefusible wire and other wire is located the insulating material H willmelt and the fusi- 'ble wire at such place quickly becomes heated, andat the temperature determined melts and runs down onto or connects insome way with the wire J, which makes the electric circuit with thebattery and magnet and bell through these wires G and J, and connectingwires a, b, d, and c, sounding the bell also causing the magnet toattract the armature Q, which moves up to and its end S then rests andtoo bears upon or against the block II when another or shorter electriccircuit is made, independent of the fusible wire circuit, through theblock U, wire g, wire 6, magnet N, wire (Z, bell, wire 6, battery, wirea, and wire 1, to armature, to block U, completing the circuit, themagnet holding the armature in such contact and causing the bell tocontinue to sound as long as the battery lasts, or some person comes whohas been warned by the sounding of the bell.

In practical use the combined wires can be run around the room at anyand all places desired at any desired height, along the mopboard, up atthe sides, along the ceiling, cornice, into closets and other smallplaces, the, but both wires should be continuous and the wire Jpreferably wound upon the wire G throughout its length.

The electrical apparatus can be placed in another room, or in any partof the building, or the bell can be placed outside of the building, asdesired, but the fusible wire and electric wire should be connectedelectrically with the magnet and bell at all times, but leaving thecircuit open by the non-contact of the wires G J.

The fusible wire can be of any size, although it is preferable to haveit small and of a metal or compound to fuse at any desired or very lowdegree of heat; also, the insulating material should be of a substanceor substances that willmelt, or burn, or dissolve at a temperature atleast as low as that at which it is desired the fusible wire shall beaffected by the heat of the fire, and preferably it might be acted uponby the heat at a lower temperature to insure that the heat of the fireshall reach the fusible wire orconductor to soften and melt it for theproper operation of this system. These wires being small, as is evident,can be laid easily and conveniently in most all places about the room orbuilding, it being necessary, however, to keep the two wireselectrically continuous, and each has one of its ends connected with theelectric circuit and close together, so that when the fusible wire meltsand runs down it will surely come in contact with the other wire to makethe electric circuit and sound the bell, as described.

The great advantage of this system of electric fire-alarm is that thefusible wire and other wire can extend around the room or buildingindefinitely, and into all places connected therewith, making what maybe called a continuous fusible open electric circuit, so that theinstant a flame or extreme and dangerous heat touches or warms up anypart of the continuous fusible wire it will melt, run down, and makecontact with the electric wire J, making the electric circuit andsounding the alarm. This extensive use and arrangement of the fusiblewire and electric wire in a room or other place not only insures that analarm will be given immediately at the start of the fire, but at allplaces in the room or building before it spreads and becomes dangerousor of any magnitude, as is obvious, and this is very important. As thiswire can be made at a very small cost, itmakes a very cheap device, andalso its cheapness adds to its eil'ectiveness, in that plenty of thewire can be used, and thus evcryplace, corner, &c., in the room orbuilding be protected by it.

In lieu of winding the plain or bare wire J upon the insulating materialon the fusible wire G it can run alongside of and on the same and besecured to it or near to it in any suitable manner, but not in electriccontact with the wire G, but so it will be near or close to it along itslength to insure the con tact of the two when the fusible wire melts tomake the electric circuit for the sounding of the alarm. This is shownin Figs. 3 and 4, Fig. 3 representing the insulated fusible wire and theplain electric wire as running along close to each other side by side,and in Fig. 4 the two wires as bare wires, without any insulatingmaterial on the fusible wire, running close to each other side by side,but not in contact to keep the electric circuitopen, in both cases closeenough for the necessary contact of the two when the fusible wire meltsto insure the making of the electric circuit to sound the alarm. It ispreferable, however, to use the two wires combined, as shown in Fig. 1,as in arranging it about the room, &c., it is practically laying onlyone wire.

The electric circuit is maintained by the short circuit throughthearmature, as described, insuring the eontinuous sounding of the alarmeven if the electric circuit between the conducting-wires should becomebroken from any cause.

The magnet and armature and its electric circuit can be dispensed with,depending upon the electric circuit made by the contact of the wires G Jafter the fusing of the wire G for the continuous sounding of the bellor alarm; but it is preferable to use the magnet and armature with itsshort circuit, as in practical use the electrical apparatus willprefcrably be placed in some room independent of or some distance fromthe room or building prepared with the conducting-wires, so that thefire will have no eifect 011 this electric circuit to interfere with itsworking to continue to sound the alarm until the parties are warned ofthe fire.

Any suitable sounding device can. be used, as desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In an electricfire-alarm, the combination of two wires arranged in close proximityside by side but electrically separated one from the other, one of saidwires being formed of a metal fusible at a low temperature, and placedabove the other wire, said wires at one end being respectively connectedto the poles of an electric battery and electrically separated at theirother ends, and a bell or other sounding device located in thebatterycircuit, substantially as described.

2. In an electric fire-alarm, the combination of two wires, one of whichis formed of a metal fusible at a low temperature and covered with aninsulating material destructible by a low degree of heat, and one ofsaid wires being wound about the other throughout the length of thelatter, said wires at one end be ing respectively connected to the polesof an electric battery and electrically separated at their other ends,and a bell or other sounding device located in the battery-circuit,substantially as described.

3. In an electric fire-alarm, the combination of two wires arranged inclose proximity side by side but electrically separated one from theother, one of said wires being formed of a metal fusible at a lowtemperature, and placed above the other wire, one of said wires beingconnected to one pole of a battery and the'other wire being connected tothe other pole thereof and including an electromagnet and a bell, anarmature controlled by said magnet and electrically connected to one ofsaid wires, and a contact connected to the other wire and adapted whenthe armature is attracted by the magnet to form a short circuit throughsaid electromagnet, bell and battery, substantially as described.

4:. An electric cable or conductor composed of two wires one of which isformed of a metal fusible at a low temperature and covered with aninsulating material destructible at a low degree of heat, and the otherof said wires being wound about the insulating material on the firstwire throughout its length.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

CHARLES D. TISDALE.

Witnesses:

EDWIN W. BROWN, LEONA G. ARNO.

